Current training schedule

People more dedicated than I say each training session should have a purpose. This is perhaps where the proverbial rubber meets the road in that the average aspiring triathlete may not have the time or energy to plan things out ahead of time. I'm going to start off easy and just plan a purposeful schedule and hope that over time, I'll know enough about my progress during the base phase to give each workout more purpose.

A few observations and frustrations thus far. First of all, although it has been warm lately, I'm not sure we can count on the entire winter being bypassed by global warming just yet. So, that means a lot of indoor time. I've been fortunate to get rides and runs outside the last two weekends, but that's by no means guaranteed. Indoors is ok, but challenging. I've begun spinning, which in someways is really good for my cycling ability - the chance to work on pedal stroke is key because there are no distractions. Also, I really (perhaps more than I expected) like obnoxiously loud techno remixes of obscure songs. However, the class is designed for people who need 45 minutes of enforced discipline to get a cardio workout. It's not designed for people working to purposefully build the mitochondria and capillaries necessary for effective endurance performances. I.E, you can't rush this phase because it involves growing things. So the spinning instructors sort of yell and everyone sprints and stands and climbs and sprints, and I sit and try to plod along at a steady pace for the entire class. I fear they secretly loathe me.

So, as it stands now, here's the schedule.

Monday - strength workout of crunches, tricep dips, leg lifts, pull ups, side and back bends, chest pull and seated row, plus quad and hamstring work. Then, 45 minutes of spinning followed by no more than 30 minutes running.

Tuesday - eventually, Tuesday will be a two-a-day day, with an early morning long swim of an hour. I'll try that this week, though I'm attending a tri swimming clinic in February, and until then, I may stay out of the pool some. Also, before work? Two-a-day? WTF! But yes, I'll go back to the gym afterwork for another 45 minute spin (taught by a very good instructor I think), and then an hour of vinyasa yoga.

Wednesday, for the most part I'll take Wednesday off. Hooray!

Thursday - mid-day long run. Triathlon training literature suggests no more than one long run a week. This will be it for me. Post work, back to the gym for a medium swim, plus Monday's strenth workout.

Friday - 45 minute spin. Friday's spinning instructor is crazy. She sings along to the songs, but she's a very knowledgeable endurance athlete I think, so I'll cut her some slack.

Saturday - a long ride. There are some variables though, including A) weather, B) the degree to which I'm hungover, C) well, mostly just B again. I kid. Sort of. I usually use this route. It's repetitive, and often there are a lot of people on one stretch of road, but much of it is blocked to vehicle traffic, and since I usually ride by myself on long days, I don't want to go too far from home. After the ride, which should be 3 or 4 hours now, and 6 by June, I'll do at most 30 minutes of running.

Sunday - another ride, but less long at 40 miles, and with a group organized by a local bike shop. A very chill crowd. I'd like to ride with people from the local triathlon club in D.C., but they usually go on Saturdays, and until I'm more comfortable with riding in a group, I think I'll stick to myself.

You may notice that I've for the most part avoided listing workouts in terms of miles. This is because, as I understand it, the key in base phase is going for long periods of time so that the body is trained to keep working after the initial glycogen stores are used up after 2:30 hours or so. I'll keep a mileage log though, just in case you're curious.